Off to Kindy for Luke and Landon

Kindergarten (kindy) is the kiwi word for preschool.  What we refer to as kindergarten in the US would be called Year 1 here in NZ.  The New Zealand government pays for up to 20 hours per week of kindy!  How can you pass that up?  Actually, we did pass it up, for the first few months after moving here at least.  With all the changes we had gone through, I wasn't ready for the twins to leave the nest quite yet, but eventually I realized that it would probably be okay for us to have a few hours of independence from each other. :)  I certainly wasn't ready for 20 hours, but two mornings totaling 8.5 hours per week is just about right.

Luke and Landon hit the kindy ground running, and haven't looked back.  We love their school, the teachers, the campus…it's all fabulous.  The structure is definitely more laid back than our preschool experience with our older kids in the States, but that definitely hasn't been a bad thing at all…just different.  The boys are thriving and have adjusted to their new schedule and environment without a hitch.  They were ready.

I love all of these photos from their first day.  I know I'm biased, but these little boys are pretty dang adorable if you ask me.  See for yourself: 

Turns out, we drop the twins off before heading to the other three schools.  It was a little crazy that first day (well, everyday), getting everyone/everything ready and out the door on time!  Emily was hiding there in the van somewhere... 

I can neither confirm nor deny the claims that a massive cheer was heard erupting from inside our van when we returned from dropping the boys at school. :)

We love these little guys to the moon and back, but they are very busy and loud.  Spending a few hours per week in a different environment has been a welcome and exciting change for them, and the few hours without them has been welcome and somewhat exciting for us as well.  Hooray for kindy! 

Touch Rugby (featuring Cameron!)

It was a pleasure to watch Cameron participate in touch rugby on his school team.  The league contains all school-sponsored teams, and Cam played in the division for 9- & 10-year old boys and girls.  Cameron has never played rugby before, but he caught on quickly and truly enjoyed himself.  His team was inexperienced and only got one win, but they improved so much over the short season.  Cameron kept saying every week how much he loved it, so that's what matters, right?

Rachel's soccer jersey and Cameron's touch rugby jersey must have come from the same place.  Cameron still played hard, despite his very roomy top with a (much too) deep V:

My goodness.  That's a LOT of bare chest goin' on.

We've heard one girl's name come up several times this year when Cameron has talked about his "friends" at school… Jasmine.  Did Cameron sign up for touch rugby after learning that Jasmine would be playing?  Perhaps.  :)  

We had fun going to the park as a family to support Cameron.  The park was enormous, and it honestly felt like every person in Palmy had a kid playing touch rugby.  Despite the crowds, the matches were quick (30 minutes) and were played back-to-back each week, so the season actually passed quite rapidly.

We will definitely play touch rugby for years to come.  It's fast paced, simple to learn, and just plain fun.  We really enjoyed watching Cameron play.  He always pushed hard, stayed focused, and tried his best...despite the score.  Great job, Cam!

Guy Fawkes Day

From Wikipedia:  Guy Fawkes was a member of a group of provincial English Catholics who planned the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605.

Fawkes was born and raised in York, England.  His father died when Fawkes was eight years old, after which his mother married a recusant Catholic.  Fawkes later converted to Catholicism and left for the continent, where he fought in the Eighty Year's War on the side of Catholic Spain against Protestant Dutch reformers.  He travelled to Spain to seek support for a Catholic rebellion in England but was unsuccessful.  He later met Thomas Wintour, with whom he returned to England.  Wintour introduced Fawkes to Robert Catesby, who planned to assassinate King James I and restore a Catholic monarch to the throne.  The plotters secured the lease to an undercroft beneath the House of Lords, and Fawkes was placed in charge of the gunpowder they stockpiled there.  

Prompted by the receipt of an anonymous letter, the authorities searched Westminster Palace during the early morning hours of 5 November, and found Fawkes guarding the explosives.  Over the next few days, he was questioned and tortured, and eventually broke.  Immediately before his execution on 31 January, Fawkes jumped from the scaffold where he was to be hanged and broke his neck, thus avoiding the agony of the mutilation that followed.

Fawkes became synonymous with the Gunpowder Plot, the failure of which has been commemorated in England (and elsewhere) since 5 November 1605.  His effigy is traditionally burned on a bonfire, commonly accompanied by an elaborate firework display.

Or, as my kiwi friend put it:  "We are basically celebrating the failed efforts of a terrorist."

There's no wrong reason to celebrate with fireworks, I say.

We waited to buy our fireworks until the last minute, and they were half price.  Sweet!  We had a "blast" (he he) enjoying our explosive treasures:

Luke and Landon were a little hesitant about the whole firework display, and enjoyed the show from the safety of the house. :)

Steve took the older kids across the street to the river walkway, hoping to get a good view of the city fireworks, while I stayed back with the younger kids.  I hoped we'd get a little glimpse of the fireworks as well…which is why I was completely stunned when the show started and I could not imagine a better view than what I witnessed from our front porch!

Breathtaking!  Thanks for failing, Mr. Fawkes.